Endoscopes with a variable direction of view frequently have in the distal end of the endoscope a swivellable mirror or a swivellable prism in order to change the direction of view. The provision of the swivellable mirror or the swivellable prism in the distal end of the endoscope necessitates an increased mechanical outlay. Also there must always still be sufficient space for the swiveling and the whole endoscope, including the swiveling mechanism, must still be producible per se, which sets limits on miniaturization.
Furthermore it is also possible to form the endoscope such that the whole endoscope tip can be bent out in order to change the direction of view. In this case there is either a flexible image conductor or an image sensor built into the tip of the endoscope. However, such endoscopes are mostly very sensitive because of the necessary flexible bush for the tip of the endoscope, can be produced in an autoclavable version only with great difficulty and are very repair-prone.